Talkin’ About Poo…

There’s a lot more going on in a pile of poo than you might think...

In this Talkin’ After Hours we’re taking a closer look at what’s happening in – and underneath – the dung in your paddock.

From the worms that can affect sheep health and productivity to the hard-working dung beetles cleaning up after them, there’s a whole world at work. Understanding it can help you make better decisions for your livestock, your pastures and the beneficial critters that call your farm home.

We’ll kick off with Nigel Gifford from Rosa Brook Vets, taking a practical look at worms in sheep, faecal worm egg counts and drenching. Using our microscope and live camera setup, we’ll get up close with what can be found in a dung sample and explore how worm egg counts can help take some of the guesswork out of parasite management.

Nigel will also look at practical approaches to managing worms, including when to drench, drench resistance and how monitoring can help inform treatment decisions.

Then Kylie Cook, Sustainable Agriculture Officer with Wilson Inlet Catchment Council, will take us into the fascinating world of dung beetles – those tiny but mighty recyclers working away in our paddocks. Kylie will share what they’ve learnt through the Wilson Inlet dung beetle project, introduce us to some of the species found in our region, and explain what you can do to help beetle populations thrive on your farm.

Along the way, we’ll explore the important connection between the two – how the way we manage parasites in our livestock, including our choice and timing of drenches, can affect the dung beetles working in our paddocks.

You’ll also have the chance to get up close with live dung beetles and see these remarkable little farm workers for yourself.

We’ll cover:

• Common worms affecting sheep and what they mean for animal health and productivity
• What a faecal worm egg count can tell you
• Using worm egg counts to make more informed drenching decisions
• Drench resistance and practical parasite management
• How drenches can affect dung beetles
• Getting to know the dung beetles found in our region
• What dung beetles actually do with all that poo
• The benefits of dung beetles for your paddocks, pastures and soil
• How to protect and encourage dung beetle populations on your farmThe partnership between dung beetles and soil biology

Why should I go?

Come and discover just how much a pile of poo can tell you about your farm.

You’ll get practical advice from Nigel Gifford of Rosa Brook Vets on monitoring and managing worms in sheep, see what’s hiding in dung under the microscope, and then join Kylie Cook from Wilson Inlet Catchment Council to meet some of the hard-working beetles helping clean up our paddocks.

It’ll be practical, interactive and a little bit grubby — in the best possible way. Plus, we’ll provide a barbecue and plenty of time to keep the conversation going.

Event Logistics

When? Thursday 24 September 4.00pm-6.00pm

Where? Lower Blackwood LCDC HQ, 403 Kudardup Road, Kudardup

Cost? FREE

What Else? Live dung beetles, barbecue and networking

This project is a part of Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program that aims to improve the health of our South West estuaries.